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Kingdom of Quel'Thalas
| Largest city = | Major Settlements = Eversong Woods *Sunstrider Isle *Falconwing Square *Ruins of Silvermoon *Farstrider Retreat Ghostlands *Sanctum of the Sun *Sanctum of the Moon *Farstrider Enclave *Dawnstar Spire *Windrunner Spire *Tranquillien *Zul'Aman ---- | Minor Settlements = Eversong Woods *Fairbreeze Village *Farstrider Retreat *Duskwither Spire *West Sanctum *North Sanctum *Sunsail Anchorage *Zeb'Watha *Tor'Watha Ghostlands *Goldenmist Village *Suncrown Village *Zeb'Nowa *Zeb'Sora *Zeb'Tela *Shalandis Isle | Population = Lost 90% of population during Scourge Invasion of Quel'Thalas | Density = | Culture = Thalassian | Languages = Thalassian Orcish Zandali Taurahe Goblin Common Shalassian | Ethnic groups = Sin'dorei}} Quel'Dorei}} Ren'dorei}} | Demonym = Thalassian | Religions = Holy Light Demonology Cult of Belore (minority) | Government = Interregnum (ostensibly) See Government | Ruler = | rulertitle = Regent Lord | Heir = | heirtitle = | Vice Ruler = (Grand Magister) (Ranger-General) (Archmage) Lady Liadrin}} (Blood Knight Matriarch) (High Examiner) | vicerulertitle = Thalassian Council | Legislature = | Upper House = Sunstrider (Defunct) | Lower House = Noble Houses of Quel'Thalas | Location = Northern Lordaeron extending to Isle of Quel'Danas | Area = | Land = | Water = | Average Elevation = | Highest Point = | Highest Elevation = | Lowest Point = | Lowest Elevation = | Currency = Coinage * Gold * Silver * Copper | Imports = | Exports = Silvermoon Wine | Flora = | Fauna = Phoenix | Gemstone = Ruby | Metal = Gold | Colour = Red, Gold, Orange | Allegiance = | Status = Healthy | Today Part Of = }}The Kingdom of Quel'Thalas (meaning High Home in Thalassian) is the realm of the Sin'dorei (and formerly the Quel'dorei and Ren'dorei), led by Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron since the fall of the Sunstrider dynasty. Its capital is Silvermoon City. Nestled in an eponymous region in northern Lordaeron, the kingdom's borders stretch from the northernmost tip of the Eastern Kingdoms to the Thalassian Pass, including the Eversong Forest, composed of the Eversong Woods and the Ghostlands, and the Isle of Quel'Danas where the Sunwell is located. The kingdom was founded by the exiled Highborne under Dath'Remar Sunstrider, who wrested the land from the Amani Empire, created the Sunwell, and reinvented themselves as the high elves, with Dath'Remar as their king. A council of lords called the Convocation of Silvermoon was raised to assist the Sunstriders in their governance, and with their aid, the Sunstriders ruled for generations. Silvermoon remained unconquered for 7,000 years, protected by the Sunwell. The kingdom's military is commanded by the Ranger-general of Silvermoon, and the leader of the elven magi is the Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas. During the Third War, the devastating Scourge Invasion of Quel'Thalas caused upheaval within the kingdom. Arthas Menethil led his undead Scourge in a rampage through Quel'Thalas on his quest to claim the Sunwell, and his invasion resulted in the deaths of roughly 90% of the kingdom's population, including its king, grand magister, military leader, and the entire Convocation. The corrupted Sunwell was destroyed in the aftermath of the onslaught by crown prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, who renamed the survivors the blood elves in honor of their perished brethren, made Lor'themar Theron Quel'Thalas' regent, and traveled far beyond his homeland to seek salvation for his people, ultimately meeting a tragic end. The blood elves eventually reclaimed and rebuilt much of Quel'Thalas, and the Sunwell was restored, heralding a brighter future after some of the kingdom's darkest days. Quel'Thalas maintained a 2,000-year friendship with the mage-state of Dalaran. This alliance would be strained by the two kingdoms' differing loyalties and incidents between them in years to follow. Quel'Thalas joined the Alliance of Lordaeron during the Second War, but was a reluctant member at best, returning to independence after King Anasterian accused the Alliance of abandoning his people during the war. The kingdom sought out allies following the Scourge invasion: Kael'thas departed Azeroth to pursue alliance on Outland after a disastrous tenure in the ruins of Lordaeron, and the Alliance had no interest in fighting for Quel'Thalas again; aid was offered only by former Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner and her Forsaken. The kingdom was eventually committed to Thrall's reformed Horde by Lor'themar Theron, who worked to repair Quel'Thalas' relations with the rest of Azeroth following his prince's downfall. More recently, Quel'Thalas established good relations with the Nightborne of Suramar. =History= ---- Led by Dath'Remar Sunstrider, along with the Highborne banished from Kalimdor, sailed across the Great Sea in search of lands beyond the Maelstrom. They had eventually discovered the continent that is now known as the Eastern Kingdoms. With this discovery, the Highborne traveled on foot for months until they found a region to settle in, known as Tirisfal to the Human residents. Initially, the Highborne had little interaction with the humans but had gathered from them the legend of Tyr; a guardian who sacrificed himself to slay a mighty foe in Tirisfal. During their stay in Tirsifal, the Highborne had noticed powerful energies within the land that the Humans were unable to detect. While they did not match the energies from the Well of Eternity, it had intrigued the Elves nonetheless. Believing they could regain lost glory, they began researching and harnessing the energy only to find that it was dark and corrupted. The elves who dabbled in the corrupted magic were driven mad. Along with this, their cut off from the Well of Eternity had also made them susceptible to mortality, age, and disease. The once violet hue and tall stature began to change. Over time, the Elves became convinced the Humans built settlements over potent ley lines. While some pushed for a way to drive the Humans out of Tirisfal, Dath'Remar Sunstrider decided otherwise. He saw no wisdom in making enemies with the Humans and came to the conclusion the dark energies were the reason for his people's belligerence and madness. With this, Dath'Remar sent scouts further north to what is now known as Quel'Thalas. The Highborne left Tirisfal and marched north. Founding of Quel'thalas Dath'Remar, with the Highborne, continued further north in the Eastern Kingdoms, following the trails of magical essences. However, their treck north proved to be difficult as a blizzard had trapped the elves. For nearly a month they were stuck and for the first time in living memory, they were dying of starvation. Humans living in the mountains had helped provide food and warmth to keep them from dying out. With the storm gone, the Highborne continued marching to find a new home, eventually finding the woodland covered terrain that Dath'Remar's scouts had spoken of previously. The land was filled with potent leylines and another, as they found, had called this land home: the Amani Forest Trolls. The Amani harbored a bitter hatred of elves extending from the days of Queen Azshara. They sent raiding parties to slaughter the unwanted guests and soon the Highborne had learned to fear the troll ambushes in the dense forests. However, stubborn as they are, the Elves pushed forward, using their magical prowess to decimate the Amani who came at them on their journey. Soon, both races came to fear one another. Dath'Remar revealed a vial containing energy from the Well of Eternity, something his followers had been unaware of. It had been one of several created by Illidan Stormrage that was stolen from him shortly after their banishment from Hyjal. Pouring the enchanted water into a small lake at the center of the nexus, a brilliant fount of energy tore through the skies of Azeroth. The Highborne dubbed this the power of the Sunwell, a name chosen in honor of Dath'Remar. From here on out, the worship of the moon changed to the sun. They eventually gained the name Quel'dorei or High Elves. Despite the torturous journey, Dath'remar led them to salvation, calling their new land Quel'Thalas or High Home. However, the Amani did not agree with this. This Sunwell and the new Kingdom had been built atop ancient Amani ruins that were considered hallowed ground by the trolls. Despite their newfound power, the Elves barely held their ground against the Amani trolls, Dath'Remar himself leading almost every battle. Little by little, the kingdom borders were carved and formed to secure a new home with the cost of the blood of their kin. Despite their battles against the Amani trolls, another issue had come up; the Burning Legion. With the use of arcane magic, it had become a concern that they would attract the Burning Legion back to Azeroth. As a solution, over several decades the arcanists built a series of monolithic runestones around Quel'Thalas' borders. This barrier was called Ban'dinoriel or the Gatekeeper. Its purpose was to prevent others from detecting the Quel'dorei's use of magic and ward of superstitious Amani. It also weakened the magic of any non-elven race who walked within its borders. Eventually, this caused the trolls to retreat back to their city of Zul'Aman. Ban'dinoriel had provided a safe haven for the elves. Civilization thrived and the fear of using magic was gone. The Quel'dorei changed the climate to eternal springtime so they would never again have to experience another brutal winter. The capital became known as Silvermoon City and had become a shining monument of their ancient empire. Much of the architectural style of Silvermoon had mimicked the ancient halls of Kalimdor, woven with the natural topography of the land. During this time, the Convocation of Silvermoon had been founded, becoming the ruling power over Quel'Thalas, though the Sunstrider Dynasty maintained a modicum of political power. However, this era came to an end with Dath'Remar's great-grandson, Anasterian Sunstrider. After coming into power, the Quel'dore was faced with a war against the trolls once more. The Troll Wars Over the millennia after the trolls had been defeated, the Amani had gone through a lack of unity and leadership, causing infighting among the tribe members. This had threatened to destroy them from within. This all changed, however, with the Zandalar Tribe. Seeing themselves as the protectors and spiritual leaders of all Trolls, they sought to strengthen the troll societies across Azeroth. In the Amani, they saw an opportunity to revitalize one of the most powerful troll tribes to reassert dominance in the Eastern Kingdoms. While overwhelming the elves would not be easy and despite its founder's claims, it was not as powerful as the ancient Night Elf empire that decimated the trolls long ago. With the alliance formed, the Zandalari ensured the might loa demigods would aid the trolls in battle. Jintha, the Aman's fiercest warriors, was named ruler of the Amani tribe. Small warbands of Amani warriors had ventured from Zul'Aman to raid the high elves and test their strength. The trolls hid their true numbers and capabilities and after several attacks, decided it was time for war. Without warning, tens of thousands of trolls came from the shadowy forests. Fearsome loa demigods marched alongside the Amani, infusing them with supernatural power. The Quel'dorei struggled desperately to hold back the trolls but were forced to retreat. The Amani laid waste to the outer reaches of Quel'Thalas in no time, pleasing the Zandalari emissaries. Even the elves with their potent arcane powers could not withstand the Amani. Confused as to how their weapons enchantments had been more powerful than the Elves, they stole ancient knowledge from the spellcasters, including Zanza, and used the stolen idols to craft their own versions. The Troll empire's expansion was no longer just a threat to the elves, however, they become a concern of King Thoradin of Strom. He watched closely from afar until ambassadors from Anasterian informed the King first hand of the brutality and demigods walking the land. After speaking with his advisors, the king agreed to form an alliance with the elves, despite his doubt they could destroy the Amani. In this, the Elves were offered an ultimatum: In return for Strom's military aid, the Humans would be taught in the ways of magic. As much as this troubled Anasterian and where it could lead, he had little choice with the possibility of extinction of his people. He agreed that only one hundred humans would be tutored and thus Elven magi traveled to Strom to begin their mentorship. Once they finished tutoring the Humans, Arathor joined them in Quel'Thalas. Over twenty thousand human soldiers gathered at Alterac Mountains and Thoradin himself led the armies into Quel"Thalas. The might of Arathor's armies tore through the rear flank of the Amani's army while the Quel'dorei began on the front lines. Jintha remained confident in the Amani victory despite the attack on both sides, deciding to attack Arathor first. Thordin called for retreat and lured the Trolls into a deathtrap in the Alterac Mountains. The final battle came outside Quel'Thalas, and the Amani, stuck between the two races, took a massive loss when the Human magi were revealed. Jintha had been among the first to fall, and without leadership, the Amani broke ranks and retreated north only to be hunted down and slaughtered. The Zandalari emissaries fled back to their island in shame. For Quel'Thalas, this began a new era and for months celebrations continued in the streets of Silvermoon. The grateful elves pledged loyalty to Arathor and Thoradin's descendants. Alliances Beyond Borders With the Troll wars over, Quel'Thalas had been prosperous in its growth. The kingdom of Dalaran had been founded to the south and some Elves traveled to teach and study and even live. This also included Kael'thas Sunstrider and the future Grand Magister, Rommath. Silvermoon and Dalaran established an alliance that continued for the next two millennia's. King Terenas Menethil II's grandfather had also successfully negotiated with the Elven Kingdom to establish the border between Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron. The Second War Nearly three thousand years later, shortly after the fall of the Kingdom of Azeroth, Anduin Lothar - the last blood descendant of King Thoradin - led his people across the Great Sea to Lordaeron, where he went before King Terenas and warned of the coming of the Orcish Horde. Terenas immediately called a council of the neighboring kings which led to the formation of the Alliance of Lordaeron. With Lothar named Supreme Commander, Terenas sent a missive to King Anasterian Sunstrider - himself a veteran of the Troll Wars millennia before - informing him of Lothar's lineage and the request for aid to the Alliance. At first, Anasterian reluctantly sent a token display of support in the form of a party led by Alleria Windrunner. The king himself was hesitant to fully involve Quel'Thalas in the war, and had hoped to remain impartial should the orcs not threaten his own kingdom. Not long afterward, when Orgrim Doomhammer led the Horde's invasion of Quel'Thalas and began burning the edges of the Eversong Woods, it was discovered that the Horde was being aided by the elves' mortal enemies, the Amani, led by the cunning Zul'jin. The orcish necromancers had succeeding in subverting some of the runestones, allowing their magic free reign and their forces to approach the capital, though the invaders could not pierce Ban'dinoriel even with their red dragon servants. Alleria brought the head of a freshly slain troll warrior to the Convocation of Silvermoon, throwing it at Anasterian's feet. This provoked an intense rage within the King of Quel'Thalas, and he immediately called for the mobilization of his armies to battle the Horde. The elves provided many archers, rangers, and destroyers to the conflict and even craftsmen for the lumber mills of the Alliance. The effort was led by Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger-General of Silvermoon. Making little progress, the orcs soon abandoned the battle in favour of besieging Lordaeron, and the Alliance forces pursued them. The Amani saw the orcs' withdrawal as a betrayal and chose instead to fight a hopeless, vicious battle in Quel'Thalas, only to be beaten back after considerable bloodshed. Zul'jin himself was captured by the elven ranger Halduron Brightwing and his platoon, though narrowly escaped and went into hiding. Return to Seclusion Quel'Thalas was, at best, a reluctant member of the Alliance. In the wake of the Second War, humanity began to distance itself from Quel'Thalas, and in turn, the high elves came to view the deteriorating Alliance with increasing coldness. King Anasterian himself felt betrayed by the Alliance's retreat to Lordaeron during the war, which left the elves to deal with the rampaging Amani trolls alone. Anasterian claimed that the Alliance had abandoned Quel'Thalas in its darkest hour, and while not all of the high elves agreed with him, enough did. The tension eventually came to head when King Anasterian withdrew his support from the Alliance entirely. The official stance was that the humans' poor leadership resulted in the burning of Eversong Woods (even though Terenas reminded him of the many humans who gave their lives to protect Quel'Thalas); in addition, with Lothar dead and the Horde defeated, Anasterian believed that the debt to Thoradin and his descendants was repaid. With few exceptions - including some elven priests and sorceresses, as well as Anasterian's son and heir, Prince Kael'thas, a member of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran - the majority of the elven race shut themselves inside their enchanted kingdom. Some high elves chose to remain with their allies in the Alliance instead of returning to their kingdom. Anasterian's decision to secede was the catalyst that led to both King Genn Greymane of Gilneas and Thoras Trollbane of Stromgarde to follow the high elven king's example, a domino effect that would soon have dire repercussions for the humans and elves alike. The Fall of Quel'Thalas Several years later, the Plague of Undeath broke out in Lordaeron. Terenas' son Arthas, a paladin trained by Uther the Lightbringer himself, made efforts to stop the Plague from turning his beloved people into mindless undead raised to serve the Lich King, master of the Scourge. Instead, the whole chain of events appears to have been engineered by the Lich King himself to find a suitable host for his bodiless mind, and Arthas fell into despair and eventually madness. Traveling to Northrend, he forfeited his soul to the Lich King upon taking up the runeblade Frostmourne. Now the greatest of the Lich King's death knights, Arthas traveled back to his homeland, murdered his father and all but obliterated the Kingdom of Lordaeron. With its fall, neighboring human nations converged on Lordaeron, hoping to vanquish the Scourge. Even Quel'Thalas, no longer a member of the Alliance, sent priests to combat the undead. Arthas was then tasked by Tichondrius, the leader of the Dreadlords and the Lich King's chief jailer, to resurrect the necromancer Kel'Thuzad - whom Arthas had killed not long before - so he could fulfill his appointed duty of summoning Archimonde into Azeroth. Tichondrius also told Arthas that there was only one suitable place to resurrect Kel'Thuzad - the mystic Sunwell, the source of the high elves' magic, deep inside Quel'Thalas. To reach the Sunwell, Arthas needed an insider, someone who could allow him to bypass the magical defenses of Quel'Thalas; he found one in Dar'Khan Drathir, a disillusioned magister. Dar'Khan, an egotistical and embittered man, believed he deserved more than he was receiving. Arthas preyed upon his ego, promising Dar'Khan untold power in exchange for his aid, and his loyalty. With the backing of his "Blessed Lord Arthas", Dar'Khan provided the Scourge with two powerful artifacts - the Stone of Light and the Stone of Flame - that had warding powers against the undead, allowing the Scourge armies to circumvent Quel'Thalas' formidable defenses. Thus, Arthas led the Scourge in a march of death up through the path that today is known as the Dead Scar, across the Elrendar River into Eversong Woods, destroying one of the protective runestones on the edges of the forest. The elves, in an attempt to stop the blight from spreading further into Eversong Woods, set the area around the destroyed runestone to the torch. But the armies of the Scourge pressed on, breaking through the Elfgates and through Silvermoon itself. Ranger General Sylvanas Windrunner led the defense as best she could, but she fell to the power of Frostmourne. In a cruel gesture of dominance, Arthas took Sylvanas' lifeless body and ripped her spirit from it, creating the first banshee. Even the blade Quel'Delar, King Anasterian, Grand Magister Belo'vir, and the Convocation of Silvermoon were no match for Arthas and his legions, slaughtered with their people by the relentless tide of the mindless undead. With Silvermoon in ruins and the elves broken and scattered, Arthas fulfilled his task and submerged the corpse of Kel'Thuzad within the waters of the Sunwell, fouling the potent waters of Eternity; the necromancer returned to the world of the living as a sorcerous lich. When word of Quel'Thalas' fall reached Dalaran, Prince Kael'thas - now the last of his bloodline and de jure leader of the high elves - returned to his homeland and joined up with Lor'themar Theron and the survivors. Rise of the Blood Elves Kael'thas' return to his shattered kingdom was not a warm one. Rather than fighting to protect Quel'Thalas in its darkest hour, the prince had been absent in Dalaran. Many of the despondent survivors scorned him, claiming that Kael had always felt a greater kinship with that distant kingdom than Quel'Thalas itself. The prince could hardly fault them, for it was true, he had always felt distant from his insular, isolationist kingdom, and was far more open to the world beyond Quel'Thalas than many of his people. Still, Kael'thas loved his people more than they knew and ruling the kingdom now fell to him. He swore to do all in his power to see it rebuilt and restored to its glory. The prince attended the funeral of his father, surveyed the ruins of his kingdom, and finally examined the befouled Sunwell. The well, once the beating heart of high elf society, was now pulsating dark, necromantic energies that threatened to kill every elf bound to it. Kael'thas returned to Silvermoon and told his people a truth few were happy to hear: the Sunwell must be destroyed. Accompanied by a small raid, Kael'thas and his strongest magi teleported to Quel'Danas, where they bound and destroyed the Sunwell in an elaborate ritual. The ensuing detonation did huge damage to the undead and Amani warbands swarming the isle, and Kael'thas returned to Silvermoon triumphant. To the gathered high elves he spoke of the future and renamed them the blood elves, Sin'dorei in their native tongue, in honor of their perished king and kin. For all the hardships and sorrow in the blood elves' recent history, this new chapter would need to be one of healing and rebuilding if Quel'Thalas was to endure. The loss of the Sunwell was immediately felt by the Blood Elves. Having spent every day of their lives bathed in its energies, they were left bereft, weakened by its absence, with an insatiable hunger to feed. A small portion of Silvermoon had been defensibly reclaimed, but most of Quel'Thalas remained in rubble and ruins, a wasteland haunted by phantoms and cadaverous undead. Kael'thas knew that true rebuilding would never be possible until the immediate threat of the Scourge running rampant through all of Lordaeron was dealt with. To this end, he named the seasoned ranger Lor'themar Theron his regent, gathered the healthiest of his warriors, and departed to do battle in the south. Reformations The Scourge invasion hugely changed the political scene of Quel'Thalas. With the deaths of roughly 90% of the kingdom's population (including its king, ranger-general, grand magister, and ruling council), many political decisions were made to fill the voids left. Kael'thas Sunstrider assumed his role as the rightful ruler of Quel'Thalas, succeeding his father, Anasterian Sunstrider. He chose not to crown himself, instead, honoring his father posthumously as the last high elven king and styling himself with various other titles (prince, lord, "Sun King," etc.) thereafter. Lor'themar Theron, the former second-in-command to Sylvanas Windrunner, was named the regent lord of Quel'Thalas, to safeguard the kingdom in Kael's absence. Halduron Brightwing, a close friend, and comrade of Theron, was elected as the new Ranger-general of Silvermoon, leader of the Farstriders, and general Thalassian military leader, replacing the fallen Sylvanas Windrunner. The archmage Rommath was made the new Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas, replacing previous grand magister Belo'vir Salonar. The Convocation of Silvermoon, wiped out completely by Arthas and Dar'Khan, was never restored. Kael instead became the sole ruler of the blood elves. New Allegiances Although King Anasterian had seceded from the Alliance, Kael'thas joined up with the Alliance remnants battling in Lordaeron. But the Alliance's chain of command in the region had also changed significantly: the reigning grand marshal, Garithos, was a prejudiced man promoted by chance instead of merit. The grand marshal was bigoted towards non-human races and harbored a deep personal hatred of the elves in particular. He gave the blood elves tasks either far beneath their capabilities as warriors or - worse - suicidal. Kael'thas was forced to call upon the aid of the night elves (led by Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind, (hunting for Malfurion's brother Illidan) and, later, Lady Vashj and the naga. The naga presented themselves as misunderstood enemies of the Scourge -- their input had not only saved the lives of the blood elf soldiers but also ensured the Alliance's flank remained protected during the battle for Dalaran -- but to Garithos, they were monsters no better than the undead. When Garithos discovered the naga had aided Kael and his brethren, he sentenced them to death for treason. Kael and his comrades were rescued by Vashj and her naga, who took them to Illidan in the wastes of Outland. Illidan won Kael'thas over with an understanding of his plight, and promised the prince a solution to the arcane hunger consuming his race; Kael'thas then pledged the loyalty of the blood elves to Illidan's cause. Settling in Outland with the rest of Illidan's forces, Kael'thas sent a magister named Rommath back to Quel'Thalas, with the promise that Kael'thas would one day return to lead the blood elves to paradise. Rommath rejoined Lor'themar, Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, and informed him of Kael'thas' command to prepare the blood elves for their journey into the "promised land" beyond the Dark Portal. Kael'thas's departure to Outland marked the beginning of a dark turn. He could not bear to return to his kingdom a failure and a fugitive with nothing to show for his people's hardships, and his hunger for magic grew ever worse. While sojourning on Outland he convinced a hesitant Illidan to share the secrets of fel magic with him; this damning switch soon became an addiction. His actions grew callous, he turned paranoid and put himself in a position where Kil'jaeden the Deceiver, lord of the Burning Legion, could prey on his weaknesses and turn him into an ideal pawn to further the Deceiver's own plans, which Quel'Thalas was crucial too. Meanwhile, in ruined Lordaeron, Sylvanas Windrunner and her free-willed Forsaken undead had killed Garithos and claimed Capital City as their own. The Forsaken holdings were tenuous, beset as they were by enemies on all sides. The banshee queen reached out to Quel'Thalas, seeking sanctuary; she had given her life to defend the kingdom and expected something in return for her sacrifice. Yet her request was refused. The blood elves feared the undead, suspecting a trick, and treated them as monsters. Rebuilding Little had changed in Quel'Thalas during the prince's absence. The Farstriders frequently struck out to battle the Scourge, but their enemy was inexorable, and the blood elves' debilitating hunger for magic was yet to be ameliorated. Meanwhile, Dar'Khan Drathir, risen from the grave to harry Quel'Thalas once more, haunted the kingdom he had betrayed. The Lich King, outwardly dormant atop his frozen throne, clashed with Malygos and his servant Kalecgos in a race to hoard the remnants of the Sunwell, which the red dragon Korialstrasz had hastily collected and transformed into a mortal guise, the human woman Anveena Teague. Drathir discovered her identity and dragged her to Quel'Thalas for his own purposes. Sylvanas, Lor'themar, and the Farstriders allied with Kalec and his companions, and Anveena killed the great traitor once again. Anveena's true identity was to be kept a closely-guarded secret by Quel'Thalas' leadership, and she was put under protection at an undisclosed location within the kingdom. Kalecgos remained by her side. It was not until Rommath returned with Illidan's teachings - teachings smoothly attributed to Kael'thas - that the tides began to turn. Rommath taught his brethren the ability to siphon arcane magic from external sources, primarily mana-bearing creatures and objects. This proved invaluable to the beleaguered elves, most of whom were suffering from arcane withdrawal with the Sunwell's constant flow of energy gone, and lacking the strength to restore their beloved homeland. Some elves opposed this technique, considering it immoral, and were exiled south to the Plaguelands to avoid civil unrest; the exiles took up residence at Quel'Lithien Lodge. Rommath and the magi used their powerful magic to reclaim and rebuild the eastern half of Silvermoon City almost overnight, and the blood elves struck out to reclaim Eversong and push into the scoured south. Most of Eversong was restored, but the elves were more divided on how to approach the Ghostlands. Some were content to remain north, in the safety of Silvermoon; others would not rest until the Scourge was driven from Quel'Thalas entirely. Kael'thas also sent back M'uru to Quel'Thalas, a naaru guardian he had defeated in Tempest Keep. The blood elves learned to manipulate and harvest his holy energies, using them to empower a group of pseudo-paladins dubbed the Blood Knights. Under the leadership of the disillusioned former priestess Lady Liadrin, the knights rose to prominence in Quel'Thalas, their creed is to defend the kingdom from any and all threats. The New Horde Although far more stable than it had been, Quel'Thalas was still in turmoil. Packs of undead roamed the land, and the Amani trolls began new attacks on the southern borders. Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron had few resources to defend his home: the kingdom's military was still in tatters, and the emergence of the Wretched, reckless magic addicts who had overused the technique of draining mana, had further weakened his people from within. To make matters worse, Kael'thas had still not returned from Outland. The latest news Quel'Thalas had heard of its prince did not bode well: the Legion was amassing for reasons unknown, and Kael had suffered considerable defections from his own forces. Kael'thas was vulnerable, but Lor'themar could not leave Quel'Thalas undefended while he launched a campaign to assist the prince on Outland. Quel'Thalas needed allies, and it would no longer find them among the humans, dwarves, gnomes and night elves. Anasterian's secession from the Alliance still left bitter memories, and the Alliance had no interest in fighting for Quel'Thalas again. Kael'thas' alliance with Illidan and Vashj had further soured relations between Quel'Thalas and the Alliance. Assistance was offered from an unlikely source: again, Sylvanas Windrunner reached out to the blood elves. Their positions had been reversed: the Forsaken had firmly entrenched themselves in the ruins of Lordaeron, but Sylvanas presented herself as a sympathetic ally who had lost no love for her homeland and its people. The elves still feared deception, but relented, at last, accepting her offers of aid. Forsaken troops traveled to the Ghostlands, where they reinforced the blood elf holdings and helped keep control of reclaimed outposts such as Tranquillien. Some of the elves saw their former ranger-general as a hero who had given her life in Quel'Thalas' defense; others were suspicious of her motives and questioned whether the Dark Lady was truly still the Sylvanas they'd known. Still, the Forsaken's aid was indispensable in the years to come, and through this alliance, Sylvanas introduced Lor'themar to the reformed Horde, which the Forsaken owed allegiance to. Sylvanas arranged Thrall and High Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof to meet with the regent. Despite the elves' history of warfare with the orcs, Lor'themar was receptive to the idea. He knew the modern Horde was different than the one which had ravaged Quel'Thalas in years past. He was also painfully aware that time was running out for both his people and his prince, and Quel'Thalas would not survive without allies. The regent accepted Sylvanas' overtures and met with the Horde's leaders. Thrall and Cairne saw great promise in the blood elves. The people of Quel'Thalas had proved their courage and resolve while fighting to protect their kingdom from outside threats like the Scourge. Thrall and Cairne also believed that helping the blood elves would be an act of honor: like many races of the Horde, the Sin'dorei were a people brought near to extinction and were trapped in a struggle between restoring their once-glorious kingdom and their addiction to magic. They extended the hand of peace to Lor'themar, and the regent accepted. This alliance would prove beneficial for both the Horde and Quel'Thalas: the Horde gained much from another foothold on the Eastern Kingdoms, and the blood elves brought to the Horde's arsenal a mastery of the arcane it had previously been lacking. The Horde's support would allow the blood elves to reach their missing prince on Outland. Only one major obstacle preventing their becoming full members of the Horde remained: the Scourge that remained on the footsteps of Quel'Thalas, marching from their citadel of Deatholme at the southern terminus of the Dead Scar. There, the resurrected Dar'Khan Drathir directed the Scourge in Quel'Thalas; only his death allowed the blood elves to become equal members of the Horde. Attack on Zul'Aman With most of the blood elves' soldiers occupied on Outland, Zul'jin of the Amani saw the opportunity to strike back at the elven kingdom at last. Zul'jin was a cunning leader, and his attacks were motivated by a deep hatred of Quel'Thalas as well as strategic reasons: Zul'jin was certain that Quel'Thalas would inevitably convince its new allies to deal with the Amani empire. Deep within their foreboding citadel of Zul'Aman, troll priests undertook rituals to harness the power of their loa, unleashing mighty creatures in the form of giant beasts. Their energies suffused the Amani soldiers. The Horde was desperate not to fight a two-pronged war – Outland and Quel'Thalas. The faction's mightiest champions volunteered to storm Zul'Aman. They did not have the strength to face the trolls' army directly, but they had no need to. The Horde's strike force slew Zul'jin himself, along with his priests, before their rampage in Quel'Thalas could even begin. The Prince and the Deceiver Kil'jaeden, the lord of the Legion, had discovered a way to restore the Sunwell. He sensed the remnants of its power deep within Quel'Thalas and dispatched his most cunning servants to assume blood elf forms and infiltrate the kingdom's inner circle. They learned the truth of Anveena, and Kil'jaeden knew that he could use her – the Sunwell's mortal avatar – as a gateway into Azeroth. The beleaguered prince, Kael'thas, was just as crucial to this plan as Anveena herself: the Legion's servants in the region were few, and could not hope to control the necessary areas of Quel'Thalas without the intimate knowledge Kael had of his kingdom, the resting place of the Sunwell, and its defenses. The Deceiver set in motion a plan to corrupt the prince to his side and eventually succeeded. Between Illidan's ineffectual leadership, the many setbacks he'd suffered on Outland, his damning addiction to fel magic, and his feelings of personal failure, Kael'thas proved an amenable pawn. The wiser choice would have been to cut his losses and return to Quel'Thalas, but the prince would not do so without the salvation he had promised his people - which Kil'jaeden had promised to him. Lor'themar and his closest aides kept Anveena's true identity secret even from Kael'thas. He understood that Kael'thas was desperate to save their people, but that if he knew the truth he may act without considering the consequences: the Sunwell was now mortal, and none knew how, or whether, their well could be recreated. Quel'Thalas was already a wounded nation, and another disaster could destroy it forever. Over time, Lor'themar's opinion changed. He worried constantly over Kael's fate on Outland, and rather than reaching the prince and his "promised land", the regent believed it was time for the prince to return home to his kingdom. He hoped to achieve this by telling Kael'thas about Anveena. However, Kil'jaeden, who knew that giving the prince hope of the Sunwell's restoration could ruin his carefully laid plans to turn Kael'thas into a pawn of the Legion, had his agents ensure Lor'themar's messages never reached Kael'thas. The demon lord needed Kael'thas to remain desperate and to believe that only the Legion could offer him a future. Kael'thas could not hide his dark alliance forever. Kael'thas had left a bloody mark on Outland, and his most significant defectors -- the Scryers -- worked tirelessly to show their people that the sin'dorei would face destruction if they continue to follow Kael'thas. Many of the Horde's blood elves did not accept these stories at first. It was not until they arrived in Netherstorm and saw for themselves that the truth was laid bare. Kael'thas had embraced fel magic and become the Burning Legion's pawn; he was their prince no longer. Word of this reached Lor'themar and the Sin'dorei in Quel'Thalas. The news broke their hearts, but they came to a consensus: Kael'thas was lost, and it was their duty to vanquish him and end his treachery. The Horde made war on Kael'thas and his followers, assaulted his fortress of Tempest Keep, and defeated him in battle. Yet Kael'thas was not killed. Kil'jaeden had predicted his defeat, and prepared accordingly: the demons spirited him away and kept him alive with fel magic, ensuring his survival at the cost of his remaining sanity -- he was now Kil'jaeden's servant and would do whatever was asked of him. Fury of the Sunwell North of Quel'Thalas, Kael'thas and his last loyal soldiers invaded the Isle of Quel'Danas, the Sunwell's resting place. Under Kil'jaeden's direction, Kael'thas captured both M'uru and Anveena, and took them to the Sunwell Plateau. The fallen prince leeched their powers, supplementing them with the arcane energy harvested on Outland, and rekindled the Sunwell's energies as a gateway through which his master could enter Azeroth. As he worked, some blood elves informed the Horde leadership of what was transpiring. One of these leaders was Liadrin, the Blood Knight matriarch, who had witnessed Kael seize M'uru from Silvermoon herself. She traveled to Shattrath to renounce her loyalty to Kael'thas and vow to destroy the Burning Legion. Her assistance was welcomed and added the blades of her Blood Knights to the newly-formed Shattered Sun Offensive. The Shattered Sun Offensive marched on the Sunwell and began the battle with Kael'thas' forces. Though constantly besieged by demons, Liadrin and her allies had an impact. They disrupted Kael'thas's spellwork long enough for more help to arrive. Members of the Horde and Alliance soon converged on the Sunwell and stood alongside the Shattered Sun Offensive. Liadrin directed the Horde's champions to hunt down Kael'thas in the Magisters' Terrace. Though the twisted prince had grown more powerful since his defeat at Tempest Keep, the Horde slew him and ended his threat once and for all. Kael'thas, who had fallen with a cry for Quel'Thalas on his lips upon his defeat at Tempest Keep, met death a ranting madman. His death marked the downfall of the Sunstrider dynasty. Meanwhile, the Alliance assaulted the Sunwell Plateau and began the battle with Kil'jaeden himself once the demon lord had torn his way through the Sunwell. The Alliance's efforts had little effect until Anveena sacrificed her own existence, expending what was left of her energy to weaken the demon lord; it was just enough to banish him and close his gateway into Azeroth. The Burning Crusade was halted, but there were consequences. Kael'thas' meddling had tainted the Sunwell. As before, corruptive energies coursed through the fount, and they would soon spread throughout Quel'Thalas and engulf the blood elves. Lor'themar Theron and his followers considered destroying the Sunwell again, but another solution presented itself. Velen, the Prophet of the Draenei, had come to the Sunwell to pay his respects to M'uru. Little was left of the naaru, save for its heart. Velen sensed a glimmer of power – of hope – in what remained of M'uru. He used the naaru's heart to cleanse the Sunwell and transform it into a fount of Holy Light and arcane magic. Its brilliant energy blazed across land and sky for all in Quel'Thalas to see, and Velen noted that this would be the first step to rebirth the soul of the nation. This turn of events had a profound effect on the blood elves and their kingdom. The Sunwell was reborn, and its return heralded a promising future for Quel'Thalas. With the fount to draw on, the elves no longer needed to scavenge elsewhere to satisfy their cravings for magic, and the blood elf paladins, who once wielded the Light through discordant and unsustainable means, could now access their powers through the Sunwell. Then and now The past few years had seen unprecedented changes in the eternal realm of Quel'Thalas, from one near-calamity to another. With the restoration of the Sunwell, a bright future now lies ahead for Quel'Thalas. Reinvigorated, the blood elves fight to protect Quel'Thalas, conquer their magical addiction with the Sunwell's sustainment, and help redeem the soul of their ancient people. In the wake of Prince Kael'thas's betrayal, Lor'themar Theron has become the de facto leader of the country, continuing to style himself as its Regent Lord. With the Isle of Quel'Danas back under blood elf control, the Sunwell has been reinforced and open only to native visitations. The remnants of the Sunfury forces have also returned home following the Invasion of Outland, put to the task of defending Quel'Thalas's borders with the Farstriders. Quel'Thalas was likely the first target for the new troll empire brewing in Zul'Aman. Ranger-general Halduron Brightwing joined forces with Darkspear Chieftain Vol'jin and Vereesa Windrunner to counter this threat. Following the Purge of Dalaran, Archmage Aethas Sunreaver (and the escaped Sunreavers themselves) returned home to Quel'Thalas. In response, the Thalassian leadership moved to assemble their forces, noting that the time had come for the blood elves to take matters into their own hands. Lor'themar moves the Sunreaver Onslaught forces against the Kirin Tor Offensive to lay claim to Emperor Lei Shen's island stronghold and the treasures contained therein. Lor'themar's reasoning is twofold: for justice, and to claim the emperor's weaponry for himself, as leverage against Garrosh. Lor'themar suspects that a Horde uprising is on the cards, and believes it is best to be prepared for it. Ultimately, the Regent Lord acquires the leverage he had sought to find on the isle: heroes of the Horde deliver to the regent lord a crystal charged with the power of the Dark Animus, which Lor'themar uses to re-empower a dormant Animus Golem at the promontory. Lor'themar puts his top archmages to the task of extensively studying it to harnessing their power as leverage against Garrosh should the Horde fall to anarchy. Following the declaration of rebellion against Garrosh, the blood elves sent reinforcements across the sea from Lordaeron, planning to regroup them with the rest of the rebels to make the final push against the True Horde. With the massive Iron Horde invasion, Liadrin commands a force named the Sunsworn, a military force of blood elves. Headed by the Blood Knights, they have combined forces with rangers and magi and based themselves in Talador. They have also deployed the blood elves' recently-acquired blood golem technology. During preparations for the Battle for Broken Shore, a group of blood elf paladins uses the power of the Sunwell to enchant their Horde allies' weapons with holy might. The priests of Netherlight Temple later retrieve a fragment of Light from the Sunwell, among other holy places on Azeroth. Later, during the Nightfallen rebellion, many portals were created between Silvermoon and Suramar. The blood elven forces arrived at Meredil from the city to support the Nightfallen rebels in their attempt to seize the city from its Burning Legion-aligned masters. Silvermoon and Suramar City maintained good relations following the Nightborne rebellion and Thalyssra's rise to power. Lor'themar, seeing much in common between the Sin'dorei and Shal'dorei kingdoms, invited their new leader to Silvermoon for a visit; Thalyssra soon after pledged Suramar to the Horde. The regent also entertained Alleria Windrunner, who had come in an attempt to convince Silvermoon to leave the Horde and ally with the Alliance, but this offer was rejected. Alleria instead sought out exiles from Silvermoon who had been banished for dabbling in the void, which the blood elf leaders consider a threat to the Sunwell and all Quel'Thalas. History Adapted from WoWPedia . =Government= ---- Formerly a hereditary monarchy with the Sunstrider dynasty, the Thalassian government is considered interregnum, suspended, after the death of Kael'thas Sunstrider. Presently, the Elves are lead by Regent-Lord Lor'themar Theron, Grand Magister Rommath, and Ranger-General Halduron Brightwing. Under their leadership, the government is comprised of three groups; The Magisters, the Farstriders, and the Blood Knights =Symbols= ---- Phoenix The Phoenix is a creature that rises from its own ashes and this is where the Phoenix was adopted by the Sin'dorei. After the fall of Quel'Thalas, the Sin'dorei rose from the ashes of high elven ruins, thus the phoenix representing their own rise. The Phoenix can be found on flags, banners, tabards, and racial crests with a red background. =Culture = ---- The term "Blood Elf" itself is a cultural identity: a show of respect and honor for the fall of the high elves, the destruction of the Sunwell, the near-annihilation of their Kingdom, and their rebirth from its ashes. It is also a reference to their royal lineage - their bloodline. As a culture, the Sin'dorei have retained the look and feel of their fallen High Elven Kingdom, though have developed a greater penchant for the color of crimson: the color of their namesake. Crimson-red robes, decor, and armor have become far more commonplace within Blood Elven society prior to the fall of the high elven people, a reference to the blood of their many brethren who had perished in the Third War. The iconic and traditional blood elven colors are red, gold, and to a lesser extent, blue – all of which can be seen on their racial crest, the Icon of Blood. In general, the blood elves are a proud, pragmatic, and somewhat jingoistic people; they place great emphasis on their love for their homeland and are ruthless to their enemies. This is illustrated by many of their in-game quotes. Their reputation for isolationism is well-earned, and they prefer to keep to their own kind, although exceptions to this stereotype exist. Blood elves are a resilient race of survivors, and their most prominent figures stand as beacons of courage, tenacity, and the strength to fight on, regardless of what foes stand in their way. Blood elven architecture is of the same illustrious and elegant design as it was when Dath'Remar Sunstrider founded Quel'Thalas. It involves pendulous creations of wondrous curves and columns, its designs natural, floral, flowing, animal, and borrows much from the Art Nouveau style. Their fountains seem to defy physical boundaries, creating or warping water in impossible ways. Blood elves have flags that feature a phoenix. In the Third War, Blood Mages had the ability to call phoenixes from the Elemental Plane of fire. These creatures appear to be deeply connected with the blood elves, possibly because they share a destructive nature, or perhaps due to their purely magical composition. This could allow the blood elves to have increased control over them. Since the phoenix dies and becomes reborn, it could be a symbol for the blood elves — the blood elves metaphorically 'died' as high elves and were reborn as blood elves, and as a more formidable people for the experience. =Organizations= ---- This includes both player organizations and NPC organizations. Convocation of Quel'Thalas For Socialites, nobles, and magisters alike we are offering the Convocation of Quel'Thalas open to Sin'dorei and the like who are looking to connect, network and start up their own RP with elven flair, examples include but are not limited to Magistrate, Blood Knight, or open world RP. Silvermoon Magistrate The Silvermoon Magistrate is a non-guild organization strictly for Sin’dorei. The idea behind this organization is to help create networking and connections among Sin’dorei roleplayers as well as other members of the Horde for diplomacy purposes’. Safe Haven Safe Haven is just as it says. Located within Quel’thalas itself, it is a place for Ren’dorei and Quel'Dorei to return to Quel’thalas without prejudice to visit or recoup from battle. With the war in Lordaeron, Quel’thalas is but a short trip away. Sunreavers The Sunreavers are a Sin'dorei military organization based within the city of Dalaran. The leader of the Sunreavers is Archmage Aethas Sunreaver. He along with the members of the Sunreavers seek to gain admission for the Horde into the Kirin Tor. After the ill fate of Theramore, and, in consequence, with Jaina Proudmoore's Purge of Dalaran, the Sunreaver faction was violently evicted from Dalaran. Sunreaver Onslaught The Sunreaver Onslaught is personally led by Lor'themar Theron, Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, and bears the namesake of the Sunreavers. Its base camp is named the Dawnseeker Promontory. The Reliquary The Reliquary is a blood elven organization dedicated to the acquisition of powerful magical artifacts and studying the past, serving as the Horde counterpart to the Explorer's League. It is led by High Examiner Tae'thelan Bloodwatcher. Dominion of the Sun The Dominion of the Sun is a militant Thalassian organization sworn to House Dawnlight. Formed in year 30 of the Lotharian Calendar, the Dominion has been at the forefront of numerous campaigns against the Grand Alliance and is one of the most notorious armies of Azeroth. Unrivaled in military technology, the Dominion claims credit for a number of cutting-edge innovations such as the Voyager, lending to their unprecedented achievements in the name of Horde conquest. Primarily concerned with Thalassian interests, the organization is heavily involved in the social and political spheres of Quel'Thalas, promoting a militaristic agenda to restore the elven power in the Eastern Kingdoms and abroad. Silver Covenant The Silver Covenant is a Quel'dorei military organization formerly based within the city of Dalaran. The leader of the Covenant is Ranger General Vereesa Windrunner, sister of Sylvanas Windrunner, Alleria Windrunner, and Lirath Windrunner. In the days of the War against the Lich King, she along with the Covenant opposed the presence of the Sunreavers within the floating city and refused to agree on the admission of the Horde to the Kirin Tor. Highguard The Silver Highguard had undergone many a change and adopted a sigil under the new name of The Highguard. A drastic change of mission and ideals, they acted primarily as an elite para-militant fighting force and embassy, welcoming all of elven descent, along with the various races that compose their allies. The Highguard shared the same mandate as the Farstriders, which is to look out for Thalassian interests in the Alliance. Shattered Sun Offensive The Shattered Sun Offensive, abbreviated as SSO, is an army of Blood Elf and Draenei priests, magisters and warriors raised by the Naaru to combat Kael'thas Sunstrider's mad bid to use the Sunwell as a portal to summon his master, Kil'jaeden. Their operations are centered around the Isle of Quel'Danas, where the Sunwell is located. The Offensive is the culmination of a plea for unity between the Draenei priests of the Aldor and the blood elf wizards of the Scryers in an effort to prevent Kil'jaeden's summoning, which would result at the end of all life on Azeroth. Category:Realms Category:Kingdom of Quel'Thalas Category:Places Category:Quel'Thalas Locations Category:Eastern Kingdoms Locations Category:New Horde Category:Alliance of Lordaeron